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Learn to say no, with an eye to saying yes to something else.
Sep 13, 2025
Be more concerned with being interested than being interesting.
Learn to say no, so your yes has some oomph.
Don't say maybe if you want to say no.
You have to learn to say no not just to things you don't want to do, you have to say no to things that you want to do, things that are good to do. You have to realize that every time you say yes to one thing you've got to take something else off the plate. Critically, I think you have to realize that it's easier to say no than to say maybe.
Freedom comes when you learn to let go, creation comes when you learn to say 'no'
Learn to say no; it will be of more use to you than to be able to read Latin.
It seems obvious that there comes period in your life when you have to learn to say no to things you don't want to do. But the biggest trickiest lesson in holding on the stalwart committment to your creativity is learning how to say no to the things you do want to do.
When you say 'yes' to others, make sure you are not saying 'no' to yourself.
Learn to say No—and to be rude about it when necessary. Otherwise you will not have time to carry out your duty, or to do your own work, and certainly no time for love and happiness. The termites will nibble away your life and leave none of it for you.
One key to successful relationships is learning to say "no" without guilt, so that you can say "yes" without resentment.
Learn to say 'no' to the good so you can say 'yes' to the best.
Learn to say no in situations where saying no can be difficult, where it could mean getting fired. Say no anyway, because it could lead you to greater opportunities.
Don't take on things you don't believe in and that you yourself are not good at. Learn to say no. Effective leaders match the objective needs of their company with the subjective competencies. As a result, they get an enormous amount of things done fast.
When you arrive at a certain level it's very easy to say yes: that is the moment to learn to say no.
Half of the troubles of this life can be traced to saying yes too quickly and not saying no soon enough.
Do the things you used to talk about doing but never did. Know when to let go and when to hold on tight. Stop rushing. Don't be intimidated to say it like it is. Stop apologizing all the time. Learn to say no, so your yes has some oomph. Spend time with the friends who lift you up, and cut loose the ones who bring you down. Stop giving your power away. Be more concerned with being interested than being interesting. Be old enough to appreciate your freedom, and young enough to enjoy it. Finally know who you are.
One thing my mother always instilled in me is to always know my worth. Don't settle for less. She used to say to me 'Iman, no is a complete sentence, learn to say no. You don't have to explain it you don't have to say anything after it. It's a complete sentence.' So when I came to America 1975, I found out that the black models were being paid less than white models. So the first thing I did was say I'm not going to do the job unless I'm paid the same amount.
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